It ’s hard to believe that something as declamatory as a driedbushel gourdstarts with a seed as modest as a fingernail . Sometimes call “ bushel basket ” gourds or just “ basket ” gourd , they ’re surprisingly easy to maturate . Best of all , once dry out , they ’re as stout and long - lasting as wood — and they can be forge into all sort of useful target .
Unlike the fragile - skinned loufah sponge I usually grow , bushel gourds have thicker wall and incorporate more water . Of naturally , that also mean they take several more calendar month to dry .
Still , if you ’ve been rummy to give hard - shelled gourds a endeavor in your own garden , it ’s not too late .
say more : Grow your own strainer vine gourds for pleasance and profit !
Get Growing
tough shells like the bushel gourd take their odoriferous time to mature . So , you ’re best off starting their seed indoors in a sunny place or under grow lights .
( And even if you have a long growing season , youstillmight want to start these seeds early to give them as much growing time as possible . )
To soften up their tough coating , soak the gourd seeds in piss for about 12 hour before you plant . Use peat potty or make your own pots , so that when itistime to plant seedlings outside , you ’ll be able-bodied to drink down the whole thing in the ground . ( This enable you to plant your seedlings without disturbing their ticklish solution systems . )
Planting Time
After the danger of freeze has passed and soil temperatures are in the 65- to 70 - academic degree range , you’re able to safely engraft your gourd seedlings . select a smirch that gets at least six hours of full sun per sidereal day . For beneficial results , your dirt should be rich and well - draining .
( Since mine ’s not the best , I like to commingle in a few shovel of finished compost and insect castings before I plant . This adds nutrient , mitigates pH problem , and improve my soil texture , too . )
Remove any weeds by hand and then mound up the soil where you intend to plant . let in no more than two to three seedlings per mound .
I also surround the gourd section of my garden with marigold . These naturally deter some insect pests while attract beneficial louse and all - important pollinator .
If your garden is n’t already fence in , you ’ll desire to add a small protective fence around your squash vine plants — especially while they ’re still immature and becoming established . And , unless you have lots of elbow room for them to run , you may also need to install some trellis so that your vine will have something sturdy to latch onto .
say more : Make your own seed - starting pots using old toilet paper rolls .
Maintenance
check that your plants get at least an inch of water per week . To assist stave off disease , do n’t water your plant ’ leaves . I water each of my planted gourd mound by hand , decant piddle now around the vine at the soil level — and well below the leaves .
Despite these precautions , you still may have problem with powdery mould , bacterial wilt and other disease . Insect plague and poor air circulation around your plant life can make these trouble worse . That ’s why it ’s crucial to prove your vine every day for signs of squash vine borer , cucumber vine beetle and their eggs .
I remove any I see by hired hand and peek under leaves for their eggs while I ’m at it .
Also , at the first signboard of disease , you may be capable to salvage the situation by off any bear upon leaves before the problem diffuse . ( Although I had some powdery mold on last year ’s crop , I cut out big leaves and let conditions dry a bit before water again . That helped . )
Girl Power
One of the most significant tasks to fill in ? When your plant ’ primary vines reach the eight- to 10 - ft mark , snip off their goal . This causes them put on lateral branches — and distaff bloom . Once pollinated , these female flowers set fruit . These lilliputian yield , ultimately , become big bushel gourd vine .
Factors like soil lineament , conditions conditions and time of year duration will shape the ruined size and system of weights of your gourds . And the sort and amount of documentation your gourds get can impact their final form .
For case , a bushel gourd rise directly on the ground can develop a flat spot , while another , suspended from a treillage , may call on out nearly round . As your gourds spring up larger , you may supply extra support with scraps of honest-to-goodness deoxythymidine monophosphate - shirt or pantyhose as needed .
Once vines have die back , either leave behind your calabash in the field to dry out over the wintertime or advert them inside a b or other outbuilding . We ’ll show you how to scavenge up dried bushel gourds in a succeeding post .
